Copy holder



9, 1966 J. D. ODONNELL 3,265,037

COPY HOLDER Filed Jan. 31, 1964 Z4 INVENTOR.

JAMEJ D. 0fDO/VA EZL J, j 1 4F012 ys United States Patent 3,265,037 COPY HOLDER James D. ODonnell, 1955 79th St., Jackson Heights, N.Y. Filed Jan. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 341,798 1 Claim. (Cl. 12028) My invention relates to a copy holder, being a device usually operated in conjunction with a typewriter for holding draft text material in a position convenient for copying on the typewriter, the draft being periodically indexed by suitable feed means so that each line of current interest is successively exposed for copying.

In such devices of current construction, various adjustment provisions afford the operator some flexibility in adapting the copy holder to suit the typists personal requirements, based on viewing height and manual dexterity limitations. However, these devices do not best meet the needs of the near sighted, nor do they afford ready access to the rear of the typewriter, for cleaning or inspection, for making erasures, or for other purposes.

It is accordingly, an object of the invention to provide an improved device of the character indicated wherein the noted deficiencies of prior devices are minimized or eliminated.

Another object is to meet the above-noted object with a structure of basic elemental simplicity, particularly from the point of view of ease of operation.

A further object is to meet the above objects with a device readily adapted, without special adjustment, to the particular requirements of a typist having normal vision, alternating with a typst having special needs for viewing at unusually close range.

Still another object is to meet the above objects with a device in which the bare minimum of adjustment is involved in installing the device, beginning with an unusually confined compacted assembly when packed, and ending with complete erection of the mounted structure, as in conjunction with the typewriter deck of a typists desk or stand.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. In said drawing, which shows, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a copy holder of my invention, with a typewriter shown in phantom outline to illustrate the operative relationship of both component mechanisms;

FIG. 2 is a simplified view in side elevation on a reduced scale to illustrate two selectively available copy holder relations (solid outline and phantom outline, respectively) of my device;

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation illustrating on the scale of FIG. 2 a further selectively available relation of parts;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of stop and detent mechanisms of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in rear elevation of the parts of FIG. 4, certain parts being broken away and shown in section, in the plane 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Briefly stated, the invention contemplates an improved copy holder in conjunction with a typewriter or the like machine, wherein upstanding leg structure normally positions a copy-holding feed roll which at a forwardly offset position above and at substantially the same viewing distance as the typewriter carriage or roll supports the paper onto which the copied material is being typed. This entire upstanding structure is bodily movable or articulated about a horizontal pivot axis located behind the typewriter. For normal viewing, the leg structure stands essentially vertically, being retained by resilient detent action; for close viewing, the leg structure is canted forward against a fixed limit stop; and, for ready access to make erasures, clean or adjust the typewriter, the leg structure is canted to the rear, against another fixed limit stop. The mechanism incorporates further provision for ready dislocation of one limit stop to make for compact stowage and portability.

Referring to the drawings, my invention is shown in application to copy-holding structure such as a feed- -roller or head unit 10 carried at the forward end of laterally spaced offsetting arms 11-12. The arms 11-12 are shown as part of a unitary structure including vertical sleeves or guides 13 with adjustable means, as at 14, for securing a selected elevated position on upstanding leg structure 15. A sheet of paper 16 carrying lines of draft text to be copied is supported by known means in the head 10, there being a guard or deflector 17 carried by the leg and arm structure to keep the lower part of sheet 16 away from possible fouling contact with carriage or other parts of the typewriter. An elongated lamp housing 18 on the head 10 provides added illumination, as desired, for the text being copied. Successive lines of draft text on sheet 16 are indexed upwardly as needed, through remote actuating mechanism, shown to include a crank arm 19 pivotally mounted in a suitable frame-based housing 29 and relaying indexing displacement forces to feedroll advancing mechanism 21 in the head 10, by way of flexible-cable means 22.

The entire described head, arm and leg structure is bodily pivoted or articulated about a horizontal axis established through laterally spaced upstanding brackets 23 forming part of the base 24 of my device. The base 24 is shown as a flat sheet which is preferably secured by screws to the typewriter desk or table, and the bracket portions 23 thereof are located rearwardly of the typewriter as a whole. To complete the overall oragnization, the typewriter is suggested by phantom outline 25 and has the usual rectangular base or planform, the rear part of which rests upon part of the base 24 of my copy holder. It will be noted that for the normal essentially vertical position of the leg structure 15 shown in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2 (solid outline), the draft paper 16 being copied is preferably held generally above and slightly to the rear of the paper 26 on which finally typed material is being developed through typewriter operation; this permits most comfortable viewing for most typists, whose eyes are above both sheets 16-26 and thus are able to view bot-h sheets at generally uniform distance.

In accordance with the invention, the described normal position of leg structure 15 is but one of several positively identified and readily selectively available orientations. In FIG. 2, the normal orientation is shown in solid outline, while a positively located forward position is shown by phantom outline v15, placing the head (and, therefore, the draft-text paper 16) in a forward position (*10') in which, to accommodate the preference of other typists, the typewriter keyboard and the text paper.16 are more equidistant from the viewing location. In this forward selected position, it will be noted that the typewriter carriage clears the copy holder.

FIG. 3 illustrates a third selectively available pivoted position of the copy holder, being tilted backward against a rear stop to afford maximum free access, for making erasures, or for cleaning or adjusting the typewriter.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the specific mechanism whereby the indicated positions of head 10 are selectively established. The mechanism shown may be duplicated at the other end of the pivot axis, but I have found that with suitably designed rugged parts only one end of the pivot axis need be provided with the stop and detent mechanism to be described.

In the form shown, the two legs 15 are united at spaced locations to an elongated pivot bar 27, which may be of square or other non-circular section. At each end of the bar 27, a bolt 28 is tightened against a shoulder, defining the inner limit of a cylindrical portion 29 which serves as a pivot journal, received in the pivot hole of bracket 23; preferably, the effective axial length of journal portion 29, in relation to the thickness of bracket 23, is such that snug yet smooth pivot action may be assured.

The indicated stop and detent actions involve coaction between two flat plates in snug face-to-face relation; one of these is the upstanding bracket 23, and the other is a plate 30 having a suitable hole for keyed engagement with bar 27, the snug relation being shown maintained by bolt and wing-nut means 31-32; plate 30 thus effectively forms part of the leg structure 2745. Bolt 31 has a squared shank part for keyed engagement with plate 30, the remainder of the bolt shank passing through a slot 34 arcu ate about the axis of journal 29; a washer 33 under nut 32 assures uniform'retention of adjusted tension, and permits smooth application of dragging force in opposition to any manual grasping of the head to bodily displace the same about pivot 29.

For the normal or first of the selectively available positions of leg structure (solid outline in FIG. 4), twin spring-loaded detent members or bullet nosed projections 35 are carried by plate to a position of simultaneous registration with corresponding holes or sockets 36 in bracket 23. The'rear selected position (FIG. 3) is achieved by pushing head 10 to the rear until the shank of bolt 31 is limited by the rear end of slot 34, at which time leg 15 will have assumed the position 15" in FIG. 4; this rear selected position is retained because the center of gravity of the combined head, leg, and arm structure has crossed over and moved to the rear of the pivot axis, and because of the substantial drag established at 28-32 and enhanced by detents riding on bracket 23. The forward selected position (phantom 15', in FIG. 2) is achieved when the edge of plate 30 (oval shape, as shown in FIG. 4) interferes with the stop afforded by a projecting pin or shank on a wing bolt 3-7 removably insertable in a suitably tapped hole in bracket 23; this forward position is held by the same drag factor and by the forward displacement of center of gravity past the tilt axis.

It will be noted that, when retained in the forward position (15') in FIG. 4, bolt 31 is by no means at the forward end of slot 34. The extended length of slot 34 will be seen to accommodate still further forward tilting of leg and head structure and with respect to base 24, once bolt 37 has been removed. The then-available forward displacement permits compact folding of the head and arm parts down to the base plane, for storage, packing and shipping purposes, as will be understood.

While I have described the invention in detail in connection with the preferred form shown, it Will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the claim which follows.

I claim:

A copy holder comprising a copy holder head for bolding a source data sheet in face view of the operator of a desk top machine such as a typewriter or the like; a base including a base plate to underlie the desk top machine and spaced side brackets extending to the rear of the location for the desk top machine on the base plate; an upwardly extending support structure at the rear of said base for supporting the copy holder head above the desk top machine, the support structure including a cross bar journaled between said side brackets to mount the structure to the base for angular adjustment forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the base; at least one of said brackets comprising a flat plate arm; another flat plate arm non-rotatively carried by said cross bar for face-to-face friction engagement with the other plate arm; a pin-andslot tie connection between the two plate arms for limiting the angle through which said support structure may be adjusted; one of the plate arms being formed back from its face with a cavity the front of which opens on the confronting face of the other plate arm; a bullet-nosed spring plunger unit insertably, freely detachably nested in said cavity with only the plunger nose protruding from the front of the cavity for pressure engagement with said confronting face so as to resist angular displacement of the support structure; said confronting face having a socket into which the plunger nose snaps to 'impositively lock the support structure in a predetermined angular relation to said base; and the spring plunger unit being locked into its nesting cavity solely by said confronting face.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,295,680 2/1919 Benson 28 X 1,570,744 1/1926 Homan 120-32 1,609,861 12/1926 Caldwell 12029 1,640,121 8/1927 Gleeson 120--30 2,956,545 10/1960 Rask et al 120-32 LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner. 

